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\t\t\t\t\t\t11\/04\/2026<\/span> Today, at\u202f17:07 \u202flocal time \u202fon 10 April \u202f(01:07 \u202fBST\/02:07\u202fCEST \u202f11 April),\u202fNASA\u2019s Orion spacecraft and its crew splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, marking the end of the Artemis II mission. ESA\u2019s European Service Module powered this historic mission that took four astronauts around the Moon and back for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The European Service Module supplied\u202fair and\u00a0potable\u00a0water\u00a0for the astronauts,\u00a0generated\u00a0electrical power\u00a0through its four solar arrays,\u00a0provided thermal control\u202fin\u202fthe harsh environment of space, and\u202fpropelled Orion\u202fover 1 million km through\u202fdeep space. Mostly built by European industry under ESA leadership,\u00a0the European Service Module was assembled by Airbus Defence and Space in Bremen, Germany, with contributions from\u202fcompanies across 13 European countries, involving 20 main contractors and over 100 European suppliers.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe European Service Module put on a powerful demonstration of Europe\u2019s capability to deliver critical elements for ambitious international exploration missions,” says ESA\u2019s Director General Josef Aschbacher. \u201cOn behalf of ESA, I would like to sincerely thank all our industrial partners across Europe for their dedication, professionalism and relentless focus on quality. This success reflects years of close cooperation, engineering excellence and trust between ESA and European industry. In particular, I would like to recognise Airbus Defence and Space, as prime contractor of this complex and truly pan\u2011European effort.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n At 00:35 CEST on 2 April, NASA\u2019s Space Launch System rocket\u00a0lifted off\u00a0from the Kennedy Space\u202fCenter\u202fin Florida, carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. Twenty minutes after launch, the European Service Module\u2019s four solar arrays unfurled in space and began powering\u202fOrion. Around three hours into the mission, Orion separated from the rocket\u2019s upper stage and the astronauts took manual control, using the\u00a0European Service Module\u2019s engines\u00a0to practise proximity operation manoeuvres for future Artemis missions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n On flight day 2 of the Artemis II mission, after a day of safety checks in Earth orbit, mission control gave the go for the\u00a0translunar injection. This 350-second burn performed by the European Service Module\u2019s main engine set Orion and its crew on their free-return trajectory around the Moon.\u202fThis\u202finitial\u202fburn was so precise that two out of the three trajectory correction burns planned on the way to the Moon\u202fto finetune the spacecraft\u2019s trajectory\u202fwere cancelled.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe European Service Module injected so precisely Artemis II towards the Moon that two planned trajectory burns were not necessary, demonstrating our know-how to its finest,\u201d says Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA\u2019s Director for Human and Robotic Exploration. \u201cThis success is a testimony to the\u00a0hard work\u00a0of all the teams involved in this project. From the European engineers working for years on the development of the hardware, to the experts supporting the mission from the control rooms in Europe and in the United States… they are the ones that made the dream of going back to the Moon to stay come true.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The crew of Orion flew past the Moon on 6 April, breaking the Apollo 13 record for the\u202f farthest \u202fdistance from Earth. After the lunar flyby, three\u202fmore trajectory correction burns occurred\u202fduring\u202fthe four-day journey back to Earth.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n On flight day 10, the last day of the Artemis II mission, Orion\u2019s Crew Module and the European Service Module separated at \u202f00:33 BST\/01:33 CEST on 11 April. Twenty\u202fminutes later,\u202fthe Crew Module began its reentry through Earth\u2019s atmosphere, with splashdown occurring just a few minutes after. The European Service Module itself\u202f burned up\u202fharmlessly in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.\u202f<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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